Cleat



Sept. 30, .192 1,510,306-

W. W. CAMPBELL C L E AT Filed March 6. 1923 l MzuAM W CAMPBELL ATTORNEYSPatented Sept. 30, 1924.

WILLIAM WALLACE CAMPBELL, 0F YO'KOHAMA, JAPAN.

GLEAT.

Application filed March 6, 1923.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, lVILLIAM WVALLACE CAMPBELL, a subject 01 the King ofGreat Britaimand residing in Yokohama, Japan, have invented a new andImproved Cleat, of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to a cleat and while the same is adapted for usegenerally as a cleat, it is more particularly intended for use on a sailboat for securing a sheet or like rope for which purpose the cleat hasparticular advantages in that it may be caused to securely hold the ropeagainst the tension on the outboard end and cause said tension to bringabout a clamping action of the cleat on the inboard end of the ropewhile at the same time said inboard end may be released or cast off topermit the sheet to run freely through the cleat and pay out or topermit the quick freeing of the sheet.

eference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, it being understood that the drawings are merelyillustrative ofone example of the invention.

F'gure l is a front elevation of a cleat embodying my invention showingthe same in place, a portion of the cleat being broken away, the viewshowing the inboard end of the sheet in clamped position;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the inboard end ofthe sheet released from the clamping action of the cleat to permit thesheet to pay out;

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section as indicated by the line 33 ofFigure 1.

In practice my improved cleat may be mounted on any suitable support. Inthe example I have shown the cleat secured to a vertical support 10which may represent the gunwale of a boat. Through said support 10 is ahole 11 for the running of the outboard end 12 of a rope 13 which mayrepresent the sheet of a sail. The numeral 14 indicates the inboard endor free end of the sheet or other rope.

My improved cleat has a base 15 in the form of essentially a fiat plateadapted to be suitably fastened as by screws 16 to the support 10. Thecleat proper consists of an element 17 having trunnions 18 and rockablein a bearing 19 integral with or otherwise rigid with the base 15. Theelement 17 constitutes the clamping member of my improved cleat and saidelement terminates Serial No. 623,278.

inwardly beneath element 17 A transverse hole 21 is formed in theelement 17 adjacent the base of the ofl'set horn 20 so as to be partlyin register with the transverse hole 11 of the fixed support 10. Also,on the element 17 is a horn 22 adjacent to the hole 21 between said holeand the pivoted end of the element 17 and said horn 22 is disposed inthe opposite direction to that of the horn 20.

\Vith the described construction the rope 13 may be variously bent aboutthe cleat members. I have shown said rope 13 as bent about the horn 22with the outboard end 12 passed through the hole 21 and then through thehole 11 while the inboard end or free end 1 1 of the sheet passes fromthe horn 22 beneath the element 17 adjacent to the base of the horn 20and passing over the outboard end 12 at the inside of the support 10between said support and the cleat element 17. With the describedadjustment of the sheet it will be obvious that the tension on theoutboard end 12 will by reason of the bend of the sheet about the horn22 tend to draw the element 17 toward the support 10, thereby causingthe element 17 to clamp the free end 14; of the sheet tightly betweensaid element 17 and the support 10. V

The holding action of the cleat on the free end 14 is due also to thefact that when said free end is brought beneath the horn 20 and towardthe pivoted end of the element 17 said free end becomes jambed, thetension on the outboard end 12 being effective to cause a clampingaction on the said jambed free end 14. The clamping and jambing of thefree end 14 will prevent running of the sheet but nevertheless said freeend may be quickly released from the clamping action by drawing saidfree end outwardly toward the terminal of horn 20, the deflection ofwhich horn prevents binding action of said horn on said free end of thesheet.

I would state in conclusion that while the illustrated exampleconstitutes a practical embodiment of my invention, I do not limitmyself strictly to the exact details herein illustrated, since,manifestly, the same can be considerably varied without departure claimfrom thesp-irit of the inventionas defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention I 1. As a new article of manufacture,a

cleat of the class described comprising a in the form 01 a horndeflected from the,

general plane of the cleat, said element having a transverse holetherethrough adjacent to the base of said horn, and a second horn onsaid element betweenv said hole and the 1 pivoted endof theelement anddisposed in the opposite direction from said terminal horn.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a clea-t of the class descri'bed,including a rope clampin element pivotally mounted at one end ant havinga transverse hole therethrough; together with a horn on said pivotedelement between said hole and the piv oted end thereof and disposed inthe direction of said pivoted end.

WILLIAM WALLACE CAMPBELL.

